Takeaways: Gophers undone by Cal freshman quarterback in first loss of the season

BERKELEY, CALIF. — Fourth quarter. Three-point game. First team that blinks likely loses.

That’s what happened late Saturday night at California Memorial Stadium when the Gophers and Golden Bears met in a nonconference matchup.

The Gophers blinked, and Cal secured a 27-14 victory.

In a back-and-forth game, the Golden Bears held a 17-14 lead on Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Mason Mini with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Gophers had a chance to tie in the fourth quarter, but Brady Denaburg missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt. Minnesota’s defense answered, forcing Cal to punt with 8:10 left.

Then came the blink.

Gophers safety Koi Perich — who moments earlier nearly had an interception with a clear path to the end zone — was back to field Micheal Kern’s punt. Perich let Kern’s 42-yard effort bounce but then tried to pick it up but muffed it. Cal’s Aiden Manutai recovered the ball at the Minnesota 8. Three plays later, Sagapolutele hit Jordan King for a 1-yard TD pass and 24-14 Golden Bears lead with 6:55 to play.

Drake Lindsey completed 19-of-32 passes for 205 yards and one TD with one interception for the Gophers. Le’Meke Brockington had eight catches for 106 yards.

Fame Ijeboi led the Gophers with 85 yards on 16 carries. Cam Davis had a 1-yard TD run, while tight end Jameson Geers caught a 3-yard TD pass.

For Cal, Sagapolutele completed 24-of-38 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The true freshman spread the ball around to nine receivers, led by Jacob DeJesus’ seven catches for 54 yards and a TD.

Playing without injured running back Darius Taylor wasn’t going to be easy for the Gophers, and Cal kept Minnesota’s running game in check in the first half, allowing only 62 yards on the ground. Through the first quarter, the Gophers had only one first down to the Bears’ seven, which meant Minnesota’s defense faced heavy doses of Sagapolutele. Two long TD drives kept the Gophers in the game, but they couldn’t reach the end zone again.

The loss dropped the Gophers to 2-1, and they enter their first bye week of the season with a need to get healthy in the backfield. They open Big Ten play on Sept. 17 against Rutgers and play six consecutive weeks before their second bye. A victory over a team from a Power Four conference would have been a notch in their belt, but now they’ll have to earn bowl eligibility in the nine Big Ten games.

After the Gophers took a 14-10 lead, Cal quickly responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by Sagapolutele’s TD pass to Mini, who spun out of an attempted tackle and gave the Bears a 17-14 lead with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

8-84 | Penalties and penalty yards for the Gophers, who were uncharacteristically sloppy Saturday.

Jeron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal

The true freshman quarterback completed 24-of-38 passes for 279 yards and three TDs. His decision-making was mostly sound, except for the 16-yard sack from Gophers defensive end Anthony Smith that he absorbed.

Gophers running back A.J. Turner left the game in the second quarter after being tackled. He was helped off the field, favoring his left leg and did not return.

vs. Rutgers | Sept. 27 | Time/TV: TBD